Parole hearing for David Norris in Lawrence case, family seeks names

David Norris, one of two men convicted over the 1993 murder of Black teenager Stephen Lawrence, has appeared at a parole hearing this week that was livestreamed from a prison to a courtroom at the Royal Courts of Justice, prompting renewed demands from Lawrence's parents that he name other members of the group involved in the attack. Norris, 49, who was jailed for life in January 2012 with a minimum term of 14 years and three months, spoke by video for the first time in public while visible only from behind. The minimum term expired in December 2024.

Norris told the parole board he was ashamed of the attack and that "the guilt of what happened weighs heavy on my shoulders," and he admitted being present at the scene. He said he punched Stephen Lawrence but denied being the person who stabbed him. When pressed to identify the other four or five attackers, Norris said naming them would put him and his family at risk and repeatedly refused to provide further names.

Stephen Lawrence was attacked in Eltham, southeast London, on 22 April 1993 as he waited for a bus with a friend. Investigators believe five or six people were involved. Gary Dobson and David Norris were convicted at the...